Chance meetings
by cutiesonthehorizon
Summary: Connor is in the wrong place at a wrong time. He gets more than he bargained for, but also gains a new friend. Will and Jay Halstead to the rescue. Some action, some whump and maybe some TLC.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Hi! I'm bringing another Connor whump fic to you, hope you'll enjoy. I wanna thank to my beta reader Argallel for her great work. As always, I've been tinkering afterwards, so all mistakes left are my own. The story is finished and updates should be fast._

 _ **Warnings** : This chapter contains depiction of violence on humans and animals. Nothing too graphic._

* * *

It was Friday. Connor's shift ended several hours ago, and he, Will, Jay, and Lindsey were enjoying a night out at Molly's, throwing darts and relaxing. Connor was just getting that nice buzz from the second beer, when he felt the effects of the alcohol combining with the tiredness from a rather tiresome week. There was the beginning of a headache and the air in the pub became too stuffy for his liking. Maybe a shot of something stronger would've cured it, but suddenly all he wanted was to get some sleep, so he excused himself and headed home. Instead of calling a cab, he thought it wasn't that late to use the metro and let the fresh air clear his head a bit. That was why he was walking down the street at eleven pm, when the night take a turn for the worse.

First thing that caught his attention was the sound of barking. Connor was used to hearing dogs barking at all hours in Chicago and most of the time it was easy to ignore the sound, but this bark sounded different, there was an edge that was colored with fear. He'd just stepped out of the metro station and was maybe five minutes from his apartment. He wasn't living in a bad neighborhood, it was actually one of the safer ones, but nowadays it was better to be careful, wherever you were. Slowing down, Connor looked around, trying to pinpoint where the barking was coming from. He spotted a dark alley maybe thirty yards ahead, a bit out of his way. There were a few other people walking on the main street, but they weren't paying attention to the dog. They were trying really hard not to pay attention to anything, it seemed. Connor was still deciding whether he should do the same, when the bark changed into a pained yelp, accompanied by laughter. Gritting his teeth, Connor headed for the alley. Maybe it was the buzz from the beer, or just the fact he was so familiar with sounds of pain that he couldn't ignore it anymore.

Walking around the corner, he entered the dimly lit alley just in time to see a drunk guy in his twenties kicked a dog, sending it flying a few feet away. His partner in crime was laughing and goading him on.

"Come on, Coop, finish it! It's just a damn mutt!"

Connor saw red.

"Hey!" he shouted and headed towards the duo, not really thinking it through. All he could see was the poor dog laying curled up next to a trash can, whining with eyes wide. "Get the hell away from that dog!"

"Or what?" asked Coop, the guy who was doing all the kicking, his voice full of arrogance and challenge.

"I already called the cops," Connor said though he did no such thing and he was starting to regret it. As he came closer, he saw that Coop was holding some piece of pipe, probably planning to use it on the dog, if he hadn't already.

"Fucking shit!" The younger guy shouted, though he didn't seem to be intimidated at all. Maybe even a bit excited and that was when Connor noticed his eyes and figured they might've been on something else than just alcohol.

Connor's stomach felt suddenly heavy. The two guys exchanged a quick look and Coop, started out against Connor.

Connor saw the move coming from a mile away and he had enough time to duck, grab the pipe out of his attacker's hand and throw it away. He sidestepped Coop, who was just a bit too uncoordinated, the momentum making him stumble and fall down. Connor automatically turned towards him, unsure of his next step, which was a mistake. He let his eyes down from the other guy and in the next second felt something heavy smash against the back of his head.

Dazed and thrown by the impact, Connor fell to his knees with a huff. He tried to blink away the darkness when a boot crashed into his ribs. The force of it sent him rolling and Connor ended up lying on his back. The night sky filled his vision and for a moment he wondered what the hell happened and why did he hurt so much.

"Fucking hell, you ok Coop? I'll kill that bastard, and then I'll finish the damn mutt!"

Coop got to his feet and perhaps the fall kicked some sense into him, because he shook his head.

"No, let's go. I think I hear the cops."

There was the sound of police sirens, but they were far away. Still, it was enough to make the two guys hesitate.

"Come on, Tee. Leave the bastard and let's go!"

Connor heard the voices, but didn't see the faces, until one of them leaned down over him and started patting at his jacket.

"I'm not leaving without some cash. Dumb bastard made me spill my beer."

Connor wanted to protest, to fight off the hands, but he had trouble focusing and each touch made

his ribs hurt. He let out a sound of pain as the guy patted down his pockets and incidentally hit his side. In the next moment, he heard a growl, saw a flash of movement, and heard a yelp. The hands vanished. He heard a string of curses and tried to pull himself together and look at what was happening. He saw the dog standing next to him, baring his teeth and growling threateningly. He also saw one guy already turning the corner in a hurry and the other following close behind, a hand cradling his arm, which was turning red. It looked like the dog took a chunk out of his arm. Connor didn't feel the least bit of sorry.

"Assholes," he muttered, and with a groan he pushed himself off the ground. Sitting up he rested his back against the nearby wall. The dog stopped growling and turned, looking at Connor with wary eyes. Connor swallowed the feeling of nausea. He was pretty sure the dog bit the guy that attacked him, but he wasn't sure if the dog knew that he wasn't the enemy.

"G-good boy?" he asked, his voice shaking, just like the hand he was slowly extending towards the dog, palm up, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. The mutt hesitated only for a second, then took a step closer and pushed his nose against the offered hand. Connor let out a breath and gently reached to pet the dog on the head.

"Yeah, that's it. Good boy," he repeated, a bit calmer, and the dog took two more limping steps towards Connor. That's when Connor noticed the bruised front right paw. As the dog was so close and his vision only slightly blurry, Connor ran a quick visual inspection of the animal. He saw a bloody wound on the dog's hind leg, but overall nothing that couldn't be fixed. At least he hoped so. He wasn't a vet and for all he knew, the dog could be bruised from head to toe under the matted fur.

"Need to get you checked out, buddy," Connor muttered as the dog tried to snuggle closer. Upon hearing his voice, the dog looked up with trusting eyes and Connor had to look away, ashamed. To think he was contemplating just keeping walking when he first heard the bark was making him sick to his stomach. Or maybe that was the concussion, he thought as his left hand reached up to his head. His fingers discovered something wet and he had to bite down on his lip to stop the moan as he felt the ragged edges of a wound.

"Shit," Connor cursed, realizing the dog wasn't the only one in need of some help. It was time to get up and out of this alley before those two thugs decided to return, or someone else saw Connor as easy prey. Slowly, and cursing in several different languages, Connor made it to his feet. His side was throbbing, but it didn't feel like any ribs were broken, so he thought himself lucky. The sudden dizziness and nausea once he made it all the way up was a bit more troubling. Leaning against the wall, Connor gave himself few minutes to let the dizziness pass. The dog was sitting by his right leg, watching his every move, waiting. Connor sighed and rubbed at his eyes, trying to figure out what he should do next.

Not sure if it was the head injury or simply the fact that there was a living creature listening to him, but he started thinking out loud.

"Thanks to you, I still have my phone," he said, as he patted down his jacket and realized that nothing was stolen. "So I can call the cops." Or he could just call Jay and tell him to try and find those two idiots. But he knew they were probably long gone and Jay was off work, on a much needed break. Logically, he should call someone from the PD. If the dog bit the guy hard enough, there was a chance he would seek medical attention, in which case Connor could get him locked up. Maybe. He heard the guys calling each other Coop and Tee, and if they were on drugs and capable of such violence, they might pose a danger to someone else as well. There was no way around it; he had an obligation to report it. Though he really wasn't looking forward to all the fuss.

"What do you think, buddy?" he asked the dog, who let out a questioning whine. "Thought so," Connor sighed and pulled out his phone. He wanted to dial 911, but his fingers went automatically for Jay Halstead. Blaming his headache for the misdial, he almost ended the call, when the familiar voice sounded from the other end.

"Hey, bud, did you change your mind?" Jay asked, obviously in a good mood and Connor could hear the sounds of the pub in the background. Grimacing, he contemplated just hanging up, but as if sensing his hesitation, the dog barked. Damn it.

"Connor?" the voice on the other end asked with some suspicion. "Is this some prank call? Don't tell me you have a dog now."

"Actually..." Connor wasn't sure. Right now, he wasn't ready to give the dog u p, but that might've been just the look he was receiving. Blinking, Connor looked away. "I ran into some trouble... on the way home."

"Okay, hang on a sec." There was some shuffling and Connor could hear Jay excusing himself, then the background noise vanished. "I'm listening."

"Uh..." Connor wasn't sure how to start, but he felt the dog nudging into his leg and sighed. "Some guys jumped me. Well, they were trying to kill that dog, so technically I jumped them, but-" Connor was rambling; he knew he was, but Jay wasn't listening.

"Whoa. Stop. I'm not sure I understood anything, but... are you okay?"

"Yeah, nothing a few stitches won't fix. I wouldn't have called, but... I think those guys were on speed and they might be dangerous. And the dog bit one of them, so maybe you can call it in and check the hospitals-"

"Okay, slow down. Just tell me where you are."

Connor paused, trying to figure out the address. It took him a second, but he rattled off the street name and the station he exited before getting into this mess.

"Do you need an ambulance, or can you wait till we get there?"

"I'm okay. I might need a ride to the vet though, the dog is hurt."

"Right." Jay didn't sound too convinced. "Just... stay put, we're on our way. If there's any sign of trouble, call me."

"You don't have to-" Connor started but Jay already ended the call. With a sigh, Connor looked down at the dog.

"Looks like this night will get a lot longer, buddy," he said and grimaced, looking around the dimly lit alley. There were several trash cans and pieces of random trash lying around. There was also an empty box with an old sweater in it and a very chewed up dog toy.

"That your home, buddy?" he asked and as if in answer, the dog yawned, putting its head down on Connor's foot, making sure he wasn't going anywhere without him. "Awesome. I might use the time and come up with something useful, like maybe a name for you." And he could also sit down, before he face planted into one of the trash bins nearby. Finding a rather clean spot, Connor slid down by the wall, trying to ignore the fact he was sitting on a ground that could've been used as a dog toilet.

"So... are you even a boy or a girl?" he asked rhetorically. The dog was lying down though, and he didn't have the heart to disturb it. "Well, either way, I always wanted to call my dog Milo. So what do you say, Milo? Like the name?"

Milo's eyes perked up and he looked at Connor questioningly then moved into a more comfortable position, revealing that he was indeed a boy. Connor patted his head and smiled.

"Right. Milo it is. And maybe the vet will help me figure out what breed you are. Right now, you look like a mutt."

Milo yawned and closed his eyes. Connor wished he could do the same, but the discomfort from his battered body and his surroundings alone kept him from doing that. He would've preferred to wait for Jay somewhere on the well lit street, preferably inside that KFC that was just behind the corner, but he knew he looked haggard, probably smelled of beer from the bottle that guy used to clobber him on the head. And there was also the blood running down his neck. Not to mention the beaten and limping dog by his side. That would surely attract some attention, and he wasn't very keen on that. So he stayed put just like Jay said and waited.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

There were people passing on the street next to the alley, but none of them even looked his way and Milo didn't pay them any attention. Connor thought he was sleeping, but when there was a familiar voice calling out his name, Milo's head snapped up.

"Hey, it's okay. Relax, buddy." Connor patted Milo on the head, then called out.

"I'm here." He was just about ready to get off the ground, but the second Jay and Will entered the alley, Milo sprung up and started growling and baring his teeth. The two men paused, hands in the air.

"Whoa. Calm your pet, Rhodes," Jay called and, Connor was trying to do just that. Unfortunately it also meant he couldn't get up, because he had to keep his hold on Milo.

"Hey, calm down, Milo. It's okay, they're friends. Shh." Connor hushed the dog and it started calming down. "Sit, boy. That's it. Everything's fine."

"Found yourself a protector, Connor?" Will asked when he was finally allowed to come closer. Milo was still keeping a watchful eye on both newcomers, but appeared to be a bit more relaxed and less keen on biting.

"Seems like it," Connor replied with a grimace and patted Milo, once again trying to get off the ground. This time it was Will who stopped him.

"Stay still. I want to check you out first."

"Come on, I'm fine," Connor almost whined, and Milo barked in response.

"Sure you are. Even the dog agrees," Jay quipped. He turned on his flashlight to get a proper look at Connor and the scene.

"Yeah, that head wound looks just peachy," Will commented after his hands encountered the injury and Connor pulled away with a hiss. Milo growled threateningly and bared his teeth.

"Down boy," Will said, but paused his ministrations. Connor chuckled and gently patted Milo.

"Good dog," he said. "Just relax. I might train him up to be my personal bodyguard, what'd ya say?"

"That I'm not a big fan of dogs," Will muttered and Jay snorted, remembering that as a kid, his brother was almost terrified by dogs. Will gave his brother a warning glare and turned back to Connor.

"Looks like you got off relatively easy," he said after a basic exam, and Connor was happy he could finally get off the ground.

"Told you so," he muttered even as Will gave him a hand up.

"You still need stitches, an x-ray of those ribs, and probably a tetanus and rabies shot," Will added, glaring at Milo, who was returning the glare with the same fierceness.

"I'm current on all my shots, thanks. And Milo doesn't have rabies... probably. Also, he didn't bite me. He's harmless."

"Yeah, right." Will snorted, not feeling much trust that the dog won't bite his leg in the next moment, but trying to hide his apprehension of the animal. With Connor up and slightly leaning against Will, the dog seemed to stop thinking of Will as a possible danger, and focused his glare on the next unknown, which was Jay.

"So, what exactly did happen?" the young detective asked after perusing the scene and not finding anything interesting.

Connor described how he had heard Milo barking and the following encounter with the two thugs. He gave Jay descriptions of both guys, although there wasn't much to go on, as well as the nicknames they called each other. When he described the ensuing fight, Jay turned his flashlight to look for the pipe and the bottle Connor was attacked with. He found the pipe by the trashcan, but instead of a bottle, all he found were shards of glass.

"Might be some fingerprints on that. Okay, I think we'd better call this in. Those dudes are dangerous. You said one of them was reaching for your wallet, Connor. Any chance he found out your name or address?"

Connor paused, not even thinking about that possibility, until now. He felt the slight dizziness turn into nausea, but managed to keep it in check. He felt Will squeeze his arm and offer some support, not realizing he was swaying a bit.

"I don't think so," he said, though he wasn't sure. "I felt the tugging, but then Milo jumped him and when I stopped seeing stars, my wallet was still in my pocket."

"Good. Will, take him back to the car, I'll secure the scene until the unit arrives, then I'll drive you to the hospital."

"Weren't you drinking too?" Connor asked, a bit confused.

"Relax, I was the designated driver, so I was Herrmann's guinea pig and tried out some of his non-alcoholic beer. The fact I only had two should've been a clue. I went with soda after you left."

"Oh, okay." Connor didn't notice that, but to be frank, when he and Will joined the group at Molly's, they already had drinks in hand. Though it might've explained the faces Jay was pulling over the night.

"Come on, man. There's a first aid kit in the car I could use on your head." Will pulled at Connor's arm and he reluctantly started to move, only to pause when he saw that Milo was limping beside him. Before Will could protest, Connor unthinkingly bent down and picked the dog up. The pain in his ribs wasn't really worth it. Freezing mid motion, Connor held his breath and closed his eyes against the sudden dizziness. He cursed softly and felt Will giving him a supporting hand.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

It was a rhetorical question, of course, so Connor ignored it. The dizziness has passed, though his ribs were still protesting loudly. Connor slowly straightened and was thankful that Milo kept still. Will gave him a questioning look, offering to take the dog, but Connor just shook his head and started walking, so they could finally leave that damned alley behind.

Once they reached the car, which was thankfully parked only fifty yards down the street, Connor deposited Milo on the back seat and, without prompting from Will, sat down too, trying to relax his breathing a bit. Lugging a twenty pound dog around with bruised ribs really wasn't the smartest move, but he wasn't sure Milo would tolerate someone else manhandling him right now. Connor looked at the dog and grimaced when he saw it licking at his injured hind leg. Luckily the wound seemed to be shallow and stopped bleeding, but the upholstery of the car would still need some cleaning.

Will started rummaging in the trunk of the car, muttering under his breath until he found what he was looking for. Shutting the trunk, Will walked up to Connor and handed him an old towel.

"Here, put it on the dog... or under it. I'd rather not have blood and dirt all over the car."

"You're all heart," Connor commented, but appreciated the gesture. Wincing when the movement jarred his ribs, Connor slowly moved the dog, put the towel down, and patted. Milo threw him a look, but obediently sat down, sniffing at the towel.

Will, in the meantime had pulled out a first aid kit and motioned Connor to lean a bit over so he could get at his head wound. Using a pen light, he checked the wound for foreign objects, then put a piece of gauze on it and applied some pressure. Connor hissed and Milo barked.

"Sorry," Will muttered. "Here, can you hold it for a sec?"

Connor moved his hand and pressed against the gauze just as hard. He knew stopping the bleeding was more important than a bit of discomfort, although his head was trying to convince him otherwise.

"Does it need stitches?"

"Yeah, but four or five should do it, I think." Will started bandaging the head wound and when he finished, Connor looked like an extra in a war movie. Will didn't forget to tell him that, then snapped a quick picture, chuckling.

"Real mature, Halstead," Connor growled, but he didn't have the energy to wrestle the phone from Will's hand. A police car pulled up next to them, the window on the passenger side rolling down. Will pointed towards the alley a bit further away.

"Detective Halstead is waiting over there."

The officer nodded, then looked at Connor.

"Do you want us to call an ambulance?"

"No, thanks. We got it covered." The cop nodded and the car moved down the street to park right at the entrance of the alley, securing the scene.

"You know, we're only a few minutes from my apartment," Connor started, and Will looked at him with a frown. "I have a spare sewing kit and you can do the job. No need to go to Gaffney."

"Right. And you also have an x-ray lying around your apartment?"

"My ribs are fine."

"Even if I believed you, which I don't," Will said and raised a finger to stop Connor from commenting, "it's a moot point. The cops are already involved. They'll need the medical reports, so they can charge those guys with assault."

Connor groaned and leaned his head back, then thought better of it as he felt the twinge of pain from the wound.

"I should've just gone straight home and called Ethan to patch me up."

"Yes, because Choi wouldn't have asked questions. Not to mention, those guys are dangerous. Next time they might try to have some fun with a homeless guy, and we've both seen how that could end." Will thought about the case they had a few months back, when a homeless man was brought in with severe internal injuries and lacerations. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, he died even before they could take him into the OR. He saw Connor shiver slightly and thought it was about time to wrap this up. He closed the door on Connor's side and sat down on the passenger seat, then turned up the heating a bit. While winter was gone, the air was still cold during the night, and even if Connor had a jacket on, he seemed a bit chilly. Not to mention the poor dog. Speaking of which- "So what are your plans with Milo here?"

Connor, who had his head leaning against the window, opened his eyes.

"What plans?"

"Are you keeping him or are you dropping him off at the shelter?" Will asked casually.

"No shelter," Connor replied quickly with heat. He wasn't sure what he would do with a dog, but he sure as hell won't be putting it into a shelter, just so he could be put down, or picked out by some stranger.

Will smiled. His plan was to keep Connor distracted from the pain and this topic seemed to work well.

"So... you'll keep him?"

"I... I don't know yet," Connor admitted. Even as a kid he'd wanted to have a dog, but his mother was allergic – and after she passed away, he stopped asking. Looking at the slumbering dog, whose head had somehow managed to sneak under Connor's hand without him noticing, made him feel nostalgic... and a bit like a hypocrite. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago when he accused Ethan of being Dr. Doolittle? And now he was sitting in a car, nursing his bruised ribs because he stepped in to save a dog.

"Maybe. I'll have to figure out some things first, but... yeah. I think I'll keep him."

"Good. The dog deserves something better than a shelter," Will said. "But know that if you bring him to work, you won't get rid of the girls, like, ever."

At the mention of the girls, Connor thought about Robin and grimaced. He didn't even think about her until now and realized he would have to explain how he acquired a four legged friend. This meant telling her how he got beaten up by a pair of junkies. Wonderful. He wasn't even sure how she would accept Milo, though her reaction towards the panda suggested that she loved animals. Connor was pulled out of his musing by Jay's arrival. The young detective sat behind the wheel and looked at Connor and the dog.

"You doing okay?"

"Just fine. You finished here?"

"Yeah, we can head straight to the hospital."

Connor nodded, feeling tired and ready to put this whole night behind him. His palm felt the slight nuzzle of the dog and he automatically scratched Milo behind the ear, then paused in thought.

"Wait. What about Milo? I can't take him inside with me... and I won't leave him in the car," Connor added seriously, and Jay thought 'good,' because he wasn't about to leave the dog in the car unattended either.

"I can take him to the vet, but first we drop you off at Gaffney. You need that head checked out."

Connor looked a bit uncertain.

"Maybe we could first take Milo? Not sure he will be too happy about taking a ride with you."

Jay grimaced, giving it some thought, then looked at his brother.

"It's up to you, Will. How serious is that head wound? No offense, Rhodes, but I'd rather risk the dog than you suddenly passing out in my car or worse, barfing."

"Come on guys, I'm fine," Connor protested and Will rolled his eyes.

"How's the headache?" he asked instead, and Connor huffed.

"No worse than a hangover," he said, which was mostly true, though he could do without the throbbing coming from the wound and the car ride wasn't that great for his nausea either. Will seemed to notice his paling face.

"Are you gonna hurl?"

"Not if Jay starts driving like a normal person," Connor muttered, looking out the window.

"Hey, I'm driving just fine," Jay protested, but he slowed down a bit. He threw a questioning look at his brother.

"How far away is the vet from Gaffney?"

"Ten minute drive."

"Is the vet even open now?"

"Yeah, I've got the address from dispatch. The clinic is open 24/7, it's the one PD uses in cases like this."

"Great. What about you, tough guy? You up for the trip or want to go to the hospital first?" Will asked, though he already knew the answer.

"The vet," Connor said shortly and rubbed at his eyes, then yawned. He was feeling slightly car sick, even though the last time he could remember being car sick was in his early teens and that was on the way from his mother's funeral. Which wasn't a topic he wanted to revisit anytime soon, so he kept quiet. He was aware of the concerned looks both brothers were throwing his way, but purposefully ignored them.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

When the car finally stopped, Connor opened the door and was out of the car before Will even realized it. Jay heard a surprised bark from the dog, then turned towards his brother, but he was already on his way out.

Connor was hunched over, half leaning against the trunk of the car. He was taking in deep breaths and his color was off, and Will could see he tried not to throw up.

"You need a few minutes?"

Connor looked up at Will and gave a small nod of head, squeezing his eyes shut. Jay stepped out of the car, ready to help him get Connor inside and drive him to the hospital, whether he liked it or not, but Will raised his hand in a halting manner.

"It's okay, he just needs some fresh air."

"You sure?" Jay asked, frowning. He'd never seen Connor this pale and the bandage around his head that had a red spot growing at the back wasn't making it any better.

"I'm- "

" -fine, yeah, we know," Jay said and rolled his eyes at the predictable answer. He looked around and saw the dog watching them from the car. It looked like he really wanted to get out of the car, but was afraid to jump because of the leg.

"If you don't bite me, I will help you out," Jay spoke to the dog and went closer. The dog was obviously confused. He whined in protest as Jay reached slowly out, but didn't start growling or barking.

"I would be careful of that hand, bro," Will warned, but that only served as an incentive. Jay pet the dog on the head gently and relaxed. "He seems to like me too," he said with a smirk pointed at his brother, who snorted.

"Right. Don't come crying to me when he bites off your fingers."

"He won't bite," Connor said as he slowly straightened, taking a few more deep breaths. Or at least tried to with the bruised ribs.

"Feeling better?"

"A bit. I usually don't get car sick."

"Do you often ride in a car with a head injury?" Will quipped and stepped closer to Connor, trying to catch his eyes. "Any new symptoms?"

"No. It was just the drive, Will. I'm... ok. Milo?" Connor turned and paused, as he saw Jay leaning over and picking Milo out of the car. The dog didn't seem happy, but he wasn't aggressive either, which was a win.

"Huh, maybe I don't need to be here," Connor muttered, then startled when he felt Will touching his arm.

"Don't get jealous, it's not like Jay saved him or anything. Come on, you can come inside or we can wait in the car. Your choice."

"Lead the way, Mac Duff."

"I think the correct term is Lay on Mac Duff. How come you don't know your Shakespeare, Rhodes?" Will asked, sounding surprised.

"Not everyone was laid up in books like you," Jay commented and Connor chuckled.

"As someone would say, better part of valor is discretion," Connor quoted with a smirk, and tried not to falter when Will smacked his arm. Seeing him sway a bit, the doctor just muttered a short 'smartass' and dutifully walked next to Connor, ready to steady him if needed.

Someone from dispatch had probably called ahead, because the veterinarian didn't look surprised at all when he saw the dog. Though his face turned into a mask of confusion when he saw Connor.

"Uh, gentlemen, you realize this is a vet clinic, not a hospital, right?"

"We do, doc, don't worry. Our pal here just wanted to help keep the dog calm."

Jay put Milo down on the table and stepped aside. The veterinarian, whose nametag read Dr. Goode, gave another glance towards Connor, then shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"Okay, let's see what we have here." He turned to the dog, who was now half sitting half lying on the table, looking rather timid. When the doctor reached out to touch him, he suddenly gave a warning growl, and Connor instinctively stepped closer.

"Hey, it's okay, buddy. Just relax," he shushed the dog, rubbing its back slowly until the growling sound died down.

"Seems like he trusts you," Dr. Goode muttered, and started to carefully examine the dog. "I got a call about a stray dog being brought in, I assumed it was you. What happened?"

"Two guys decided to use him as a punching bag. Otherwise, I don't know." Connor shrugged lightly. In the sharp light of the vet's office, the dog seemed to be a bit thin and as he ran his hand through the matted fur he could see some scabs,, as if he got in a fight a few days earlier. However, if one ignored the fresh wounds, the dog seemed to be relatively healthy. The veterinarian seemed to think the same.

"Well, I'll need to clean those wounds and do an x-ray, although I think the leg is just bruised, not broken. The dog seems a bit malnourished and a little dehydrated, but otherwise seems to be in good condition. I don't think it was on the streets for long."

"Any chance he has a chip?" Jay asked, and Dr. Goode used the scanner, then shook his head.

"Nope, no chip. It looks a bit like a Doberman and Australian pinscher mix, maybe with a shepherd thrown in."

Connor blinked. He didn't care if the dog was a mutt or a purebred, but knowing which breeds were in the mix could help figure out the character traits.

"It definitely has some Doberman qualities," he said and scratched the dog behind an ear. "Any idea how old he is?"

"By the state of the teeth, I'd guess maybe a year old. He's young and someone must've taken care of him previously, that's obvious. By the state he's in, I'd assume he's been on the streets maybe few weeks, but no more."

Connor wanted to ask more questions, but the overhead light was seriously starting to bother him and standing up wasn't helping either. He rubbed at his eyes, then unsuccessfully tried to blink away the black dots on the edge of his vision,. He swayed a bit and was surprised to feel Will's hand on his arm in silent support.

"I think we should go now, Connor," Will said softly. "Milo seems to be in good hands, right, doc?"

"Yes, of course. I will need to do some more tests, but he should be okay."

"Shouldn't we wait?" Connor asked, seeming a little confused.

"I'd like to keep him overnight, rehydrate him, and let him rest. You could come back tomorrow to take him home with you... or I can contact an animal shelter."

"No shelter," Connor protested. "I'll take him."

Dr. Goode smiled, relieved.

"I'm happy with that, gentlemen. I'm assuming you'll need everything documented, in case you catch those bastards."

"Yeah, doc. I'll stop by tomorrow and take the paperwork," Jay said and opened the door, a clear signal they should get moving. Connor paused and turned back towards the dog.

"Hey, I'll be back in the morning, buddy. Play nice, okay?"

Will rolled his eyes, but didn't comment, he just gave Connor a slight nudge towards the door. The dog let out a confused whine, and Connor was tempted to turn around and stay, but Will was herding him out of the room.

"You're not big on dogs, huh?" Connor commented, a little annoyed.

"I'm more of a people person. That's why I'm dragging your ass across town when I could've been pleasantly drunk and back in my bed."

"Sounds like I saved you a hangover," Connor quipped and reluctantly settled in the back of the car. His stomach felt jittery just from the smell of the car taking a ride. When Jay started the engine, Connor thought it would be safer to roll down the window. Maybe the fresh air could clear his head.

"Frankly, I'd prefer the hangover over Jay telling me you were mugged."

"I wasn't mugged," Connor protested, although it was only thanks to Milo's reaction.

Will muttered something, but Connor didn't listen to him. The swoosh of fresh air on his face from the open window felt good. Resting his eyes and ignoring the rest of the world felt even better. When he was woken up by a hand on his shoulder, Connor felt like he was still dreaming, everything seemed to be a bit distanced. He dutifully followed Will inside the hospital, nodded towards the familiar nurse, and let Dr. Evans check him out without as much as a protest. He felt detached and tired, and recognized that maybe it was a delayed shock reaction, but didn't care. The only moment he felt reality coming back was when Dr. Evans and Will stood next to his bed, perusing his chart and talking about him.

"I'd like to keep him overnight."

"That head wound doesn't look that serious," Will protested a bit, though he was looking at Connor studiously.

"No, just a slight concussion, but he seems a bit shocky, and I'd like to err on the side of caution," Dr. Evans said then turned back to Connor.

"Dr. Rhodes, is there anyone who can stay with you tonight?"

Connor blinked then frowned.

"Robin's out of town," he said, then shot a pleading look at Will. Halstead huffed and gave up.

"Fine, guess I can crash at your place. I'll keep an eye on him, don't worry," Will said to Evans and the doctor looked relieved that the problem was solved.

"Great. In that case, I'll finish the release papers and make a copy of the report for the police. I really hope they'll catch whoever was behind this. I have two dogs at home... if someone was to touch them, my Hippocratic oath would be gone." Dr. Evans gave Connor a friendly pat on the shoulder and an admiring look.

"I don't need to tell you what to watch out for. I'll inform Miss Goodwin to take you off the roster for the next two days at least, then it's up to your regular doctor. Have a good night, gentlemen."

Evans left the room and Connor still had that confused look on his face.

"I didn't know he had dogs," he muttered, then shook his head. Will snorted.

"Yeah. And he's one of the biggest tattletales on the night shift. By tomorrow, the whole hospital will know what happened."

Connor groaned and hid his face in his palms. Great. Just what he needed. Will patted him on a shoulder, then handed him his jacket.

"Okay, let's get you out of here. This was a hell of a night and I'd like to get some sleep. Or at least watch some quality TV on that huge HD screen of yours." Connor slowly put on the jacket, then glared at Will.

"I really hope you mean sports and not porn. Not on my couch."

Will rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. Maybe I should just leave you here, let you listen to Dr. Evans brag about his dogs."

"You wouldn't be so cruel," Connor protested and stood up, one arm circling around his ribs. Just like he thought, they weren't broken, only bruised, but they still hurt, and Evans' exam was far from gentle. At least he was rid of the ridiculous bandage on his head and was now the proud owner of five stitches that were neatly hidden by a patch of hair. Will even took a look and said he would let Evans' stitch up his socks, so that was an endorsement if Connor ever heard one.

Will watched as Connor headed out of the room, looking a bit unsteady, but knew better than to try and support him. The man was stubborn and was set on leaving the hospital without assistance, so Will grabbed the paperwork at the nurses' station, sent Jay a text message that they would be waiting at the car, and jogged after Connor, who was already making his slow way out of the front door.

Jay made it to the car two minutes later, holding a cup of fresh coffee, and Will sniffed at it enviously.

"So, all good? I was starting to think they're keeping you there."

"Nah, kicked me out and told me not to come back."

"For two days," Will added and nudged Connor inside the car. "That coffee isn't from a vending machine," he accused his brother, who in turn grinned.

"Nope. I have my sources."

"Care to share?"

"Sure." Jay slurped down the coffee and handed Will the empty cup. Will threw it after him, but Jay ducked and sat down behind the wheel.

Connor listened to the brothers bickering and suddenly thought about Claire. They used to bicker the same way before their mother died. After that it was more about being there for each other in silent support, or facing raging tantrums when Claire was fed up with something. Of course, puberty hit both of them soon after and their relationship changed once again. Connor was wondering what it would've been like to have an older brother. Sometimes he envied the relationship Will had with Jay. Despite their own turbulent childhood, they were there for each other. While his own relationship with Claire had started to heal at least a bit, it was a far cry from what it used to be when they were younger.

The ride to Connor's apartment seemed to go much faster, or maybe it was just the fact he slumbered through most of it. Once the car stopped, Jay turned around to the rousing Connor.

"So, listen. There should be some fingerprints on that bat we found in the alley and on the shards from the beer bottle. The hospitals were informed to call us the moment someone fitting your description comes in with a dog bite on their right arm. I'll stop at the vet tomorrow for the report, but we'll need you to come in to the precinct to give an official statement as soon as possible and to look at some mug shots."

"I'll stop there tomorrow... before the vet," Connor said, not really looking forward to repeating the story once again, but knowing it had to be done.

"Okay, I'll let Will here play mother hen. Get some sleep and I'll let you know as soon as I have some info."

"Thanks. For the ride... and for the whole night. I owe you one."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll have plenty of chances to pay back," Jay laughed. "Take care."

When Connor's face finally hit the pillows, he let out an appreciative sigh. Finally, home in his own bed and comfortable clean shirt, he could rest, and put the whole day behind him. Or at least that was the plan. While Connor's body was begging for sleep, his mind took the silence of the room as an opportunity to replay every detail of the last few hours, starting with his walk from the pub. Connor groaned into the pillow, tossing and turning around.

He just now realized how stupid he was... walking into that alley without calling the cops first. He winced as he once again felt the kick at his ribs and he grit his teeth when he felt the imaginary fingers running over his chest, looking for his wallet. Who knows what would've happened if the dog hadn't scared those two idiots off, and Connor had just kept lying there helplessly. Logically, he knew that he did what he could, that the head wound pretty much knocked him down, useless. But logic rarely helped when the mind played this little game called 'What if'. In the end, Connor told himself to stop it and focused his mind on more practical things. Like the fact that tomorrow he was about to bring a dog into his house... his life. And he still didn't have a clue if it was okay with his landlord who would be walking the dog if he had to stay on a double shift, or even if Milo would be happy with him. Finally, his exhausted body won over his mind and he fell asleep.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Really short chapter now, but it was the place to end. Last chapter coming tomorrow._

It was the middle of the night when Will woke up to the sound of his alarm. Groaning a bit at the injustice of having to wake up on his day off, he stretched out a bit and realized that sleeping on Connor's couch was actually quite comfortable. Damn, the man even had better furniture. Rubbing at his eyes, Will grabbed a penlight from his pocket, kind of looking forward to annoy his friend with it. He opened the door to Connor's bedroom, and still half asleep himself, walked towards the bed, blindly turning on the lamp at the bedside table.

As he thought, Connor was fast asleep, though it looked anything but a peaceful slumber. He was lying on his uninjured side, his face pushed into the pillows, arm instinctively curled around his ribs. Will ran his eyes over Connor's face, noticing the frown and clenched teeth, the rapidly moving eyes, and the clenched fists. His breathing was also harsh, and Will would've bet anything that his heart was racing as he was fighting off some unknown enemy. When Connor uttered a pained grunt, Will shook himself out of his stupor and reached for Connor's shoulder, shaking it gently.

"Connor? Hey buddy, time to wake up," he said. He took a quick step back when Connor's eyes opened and he pulled away reflexively.

"What?" Connor hissed, blinking and sounding like someone had just sucker punched him in the gut. Will put up his hands in the universal no harm gesture.

"It's just me."

Connor frowned, then grimaced painfully as his ribs protested the earlier movement.

"Damn. I thought..." Rubbing at his eyes, Connor let out a sigh and tried to relax his breathing. He could still feel his heart beating quickly inside his chest, could almost hear the blood pulsating inside his skull in rhythm with the headache. All in all, he felt pretty miserable, but at least he wasn't back in that alley anymore.

"Flashback?" Will asked and stepped back to the bed, reaching for Connor's hand to check his pulse.

"Nah, more like nightmare," Connor said, feeling the adrenaline slowly leaving his system.

"About what happened?" Will inquired, happy to feel the pulse slow down even as he was speaking to him. Connor nodded.

"Instead of two idiots though... there were just shadows, coming at me. And when I tried to fight back, my hands just went through them."

"That explains the clenched fists and why you almost jumped out of your skin when I was trying to wake you," Will commented dryly and Connor glared at him, pulling his arm out of Will's clutch.

"What's the time, anyway?"

"Four in the morning. So, how's the head?"

"Hurting," Connor muttered as Will checked his pupil reaction.

"Yeah, well, next time you'll think twice before getting yourself half killed," Will reproached a bit.

"I doubt you would've done anything different," Connor bit back, then looked thoughtful. "Or maybe yes. You don't seem to be a big fan of dogs."

Will tried to look affronted, but failed. Connor was right. Although, he hated violence much more than he feared dogs. "I would've called Jay first."

"Yeah, he would've taken care of that easily," Connor admitted. "It would've either involved a gun or a few well placed punches."

The problem with fights wasn't that Connor couldn't pack a swing, it was more that he was first and foremost a surgeon, dependent on his hands. He was acutely aware how a bad punch causing broken bones or nerve damage could put him out of job. And while if things came to worst, Connor could imagine himself settling in the ED instead of surgery, all those years of training under the best, like Dr. Downey or Dr. Latham would go to waste. Still, if Connor had the chance, he would love to take a swing at both of those guys.

"Well, there's no sign of any brain damage, if you don't count a sudden hankering for a four legged flee magnet as damage," Will joked, and Connor regaled him with a haughty look. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I need my beauty sleep, so good night and don't let the bed bugs bite. That's what dogs are for," Will added and chuckled as he heard the swoosh of a flying pillow hit the wall next to him. He was already out the door when he heard Connor mutter a curse as he realized he would now need to get up to retrieve the pillow.

Few minutes later, Will walked back into the room, bringing bottled water and a pain pill, but Connor was already asleep. Will put the pill and water down on the bedside table and quietly turned off the lamp. Hopefully, the nightmares would stay away for the rest of the night. He had a feeling that Connor would need all the sleep he could get before the following days.

xxx

When Connor woke up Saturday morning, Will was already trying to come up with some breakfast that Connor half heartedly plunged through. He felt every bruise and was a bit irritated at the thought of having to leave the house, but on the other hand, he wanted to head straight to the vet and make sure Milo was doing fine. But first, he needed to make a stop at the police station, and he should also call his landlord. In the end, what got him to his feet was Will, who also needed a ride home.

When Connor returned home, it was late in the afternoon. Milo excitedly looked around the house, and although he was limping, he looked to have more energy than Connor himself. Connor managed to lug a bag of dog food from the car and some basic supplies, anything else, though, he would need to buy in the next few days. Once he fed Milo and ate some cold toast himself, they both crashed on the couch and fell asleep. What woke him was Ethan, knocking on the door. Milo warily regarded the newcomer, sniffed him with suspicion, then looked at Connor questioningly.

"He's a friend, buddy. No worries."

Of course, when Ethan pulled out some dog biscuits, Milo was much more enthusiastic about being petted.

"Not that I'm ungrateful," Connor said when he saw Ethan pulling a chew toy and few more treats from his bag, "but how did you know?"

"You realize that Evans is a tattletale, right? If I remember correctly, he told what happened to one of the nurses, who just happened to have lunch with Maggie today. Maggie called me, because after the panda, I am obviously the animal whisperer. She also wanted someone to make sure you're still alive, and Will's 'He'll live' didn't seem to cut it."

If Connor hadn't felt dead tired on his feet, he would've laughed out loud. Now he just shook his head in disbelief.

"You're all a bunch of mother hens," he said, but there was gratitude in his voice, and Ethan nodded understandingly. When Milo fell asleep with Connor's hand petting his head and Connor looked like he would soon follow, Ethan left the two alone to get some much needed rest.

The next day was a bit of a blur for Connor. He spent half of it asleep, only waking up to take Milo for a short walk around the block. When he returned home, he called Robin and partially explained what happened. Which got him all kinds of reactions, from Aw, you have a dog, to You're lucky they didn't kill you! He hoped that once she saw Milo, the aw factor would win over the are you crazy factor. Only two more days till she returned from the conference in Vegas.

When he heard knocking on the door, Connor was pretty sure he knew who would be there. Maggie had brought him some soup and Natalie brought more treats for Milo. The dog rather enjoyed the attention he was getting from the ladies, and Connor decided to follow suit and just enjoy the company.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:** This is the finish line. Thanks to all who reviewed and commented with new ideas, I'll definitely think about them when writing a new story:) Hope you enjoyed the ride. Cheers._

* * *

It was Monday and Connor was back to work. While his ribs were still tender and probably wouldn't appreciate him standing in surgery for several hours, the headache went away the previous night and so far hadn't resurfaced. Still, Sharon made sure Connor was taking it easy, and was called in only when necessary, which gave him time to finish some paperwork. He was just dropping off a file at the main desk, starting to feel a bit bored. The ED seemed to be relatively quiet also.

"Hey champ, how's the first day back in the trenches?" Maggie snuck up on him and Connor gave her a small grimace.

"I would say pretty quiet, but that would just jinx it. So... okay, I guess?"

"Heavens no, don't you dare use the q word." Maggie's eyes went wide and she looked around in mock horror. Connor chuckled, then grabbed at his ribs.

"Please, don't make me laugh."

Maggie frowned.

"Maybe you should've stayed home a day or two longer?"

Connor shook his head, appreciating her concern, but quickly dismissing it.

"Nah. I'm fine. Besides, I was missing you guys."

"How could you miss us? We stopped by yesterday."

"And Milo still can't decide which toy is his favorite," Connor said, once again feeling thankful for his work family. It made him all the more happy about the decision to return to Chicago. "I had to hide the dog treats in the closet, and I'm still not sure that Milo won't get to them while I'm away," Connor said to Maggie and she grinned back happily.

"Did you figure out what to do with him if you stay late at work?"

"Yeah, actually, the landlord's daughter is doing some dog walking. She's saving up for her studies at the vet school, so it's a win-win."

"That's great." Maggie smiled, but then her smile slipped as she focused on one of the exam rooms. Connor could hear raised voices, and saw one guy quickly leave the room, looking green around the gills and running towards the bathrooms. Maggie was already headed towards the exam room when Will walked out. When he spotted Connor, he hesitated, throwing a quick look the way the guy run away, then back towards his patient.

Connor didn't need to be told anything. The moment he saw the guy leaving the room, he was back in that alley, standing right across from him, trying to stop him from hurting an innocent creature. And if he was there, then based on the look on Will's face, the patient in the room only a few meters from him was the guy that clocked him over the head and threatened to kill him.

For a second, Connor didn't know how to feel. He felt the terror from that night, the moment he lay on the ground, so vulnerable to an attack, dazed from the head wound. When Will touched his arm, Connor jerked and took a step back, then shook his head. The momentary fear was gone, pushed out by anger.

"Is it him?" Will asked, allowing Connor a short look into the room. The guy on the bed looked way worse than Connor remembered him, but there was no doubt. He nodded.

"Connor, come on," Will spoke in a hushed tone and once again grabbed Connor's arm. This time it wasn't for support, it was to restrain him. Connor clenched his jaw and took a step towards the room, pausing only in hesitation when he couldn't decide which culprit to follow -the one laid up, or the one who left so abruptly.

"Don't even think about it," Will hissed, blocking Connor's sight to the patient and turned to Maggie, who was watching the two with confusion.

"What's going on?"

"Maggie, alert security and tell them to apprehend the guy who just rushed to the toilet. The one that brought in the patient from exam 3, okay? Then call the cops."

Maggie opened her mouth to ask some questions, but then looked at Connor and her eyes widened in comprehension. She nodded and reached for the phone.

Will tightened his hold on Connor's arm and Connor flinched, but let himself be steered towards the rec room, where Will successfully blocked him from the outside view.

"Hey, I get that you're pissed, but trust me, it's not worth it."

"I wouldn't have done anything," Connor said after a moment, a bit unconvincingly.

"I'd rather not risk it. Come on. Sit down."

Connor hesitated, then sat down on the couch, clenching his hands into fists and glaring at the door and Will.

"Hey buddy, you saved me from making a mistake when you stopped me telling my patient she was on the placebo. I'm just returning the favor."

"Then you shouldn't be here, but sedating the bastard so he can't run away."

"I think he has more pressing problems right now. He presented with a high fever and I found bite marks on his right forearm, looks a few days old, infected. He says he doesn't remember how he got them, that he was drunk that night. Didn't take proper care of the wound. Now it looks like sepsis. Smells like it too, that's why his buddy rushed out."

Connor was trying to feel sorry for the guy, but all he felt was poetic justice.

"We're going to do a debriding and put him on antibiotics, but there's a chance we will have to amputate that arm."

"Or the sepsis could kill him," Connor said, and all the fight left his body. He wouldn't feel sorry for the bastard, but he was first and foremost a doctor, and couldn't feel glee at seeing someone suffer.

"Either way, there's nothing you can or should do. And you definitely shouldn't approach him or his pal, unless there are cops present." Will understood it was hard to just sit by on the sidelines. Once he realized who the patient was, he had to keep himself in check too. He was of half a mind to sedate the guy and deck the other one, but that would be stupid and rather unhelpful. So instead he went to the water cooler and poured a cup of water, then handed it to Connor.

"Why don't you stay here for a few minutes, just until security takes care of that guy? I need to get back and start the patient on antibiotics. Wouldn't do us any good if he sued for medical malpractice."

Connor took a sip of the water, feeling the coldness calm his stomach. He nodded and waved at Will to go. The other doctor headed out, but paused at the door.

"Sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I won't do anything stupid," Connor said with a roll of his eyes. Will snorted, but took it as enough of a reassurance and left.

Connor managed to stay put a total of two minutes, which he thought was more than enough. Throwing the empty cup into the trashcan, Connor stepped out of the rec room. After all, he had work to do and wasn't paid to sit on his ass like a temperamental five year old in a timeout. He looked towards the room holding the man that threatened to kill him only a few days ago. He could see a guy from security speaking with Maggie and positioning himself discreetly near the room, making sure he wasn't visible to the occupant of the room. The patient was writhing on the bed, looking anything but threatening. Will was also there, along with April who was inserting an IV. Taking a deep breath, then slowly letting it out, Connor turned and started walking towards the elevators, planning to go to the surgical floor and check up on one of his patients. He didn't see another security guard rushing towards Maggie and shaking his head, nor the worried look on the head nurse's face.

Lost in deep thought, Connor wasn't really looking around, and he didn't see the guy until they collided at the corner. Grunting, Connor automatically reached for his ribs. The collision wasn't that hard, but he felt an elbow connect with a painful spot, and for a second he lost his breath.

"Watch out, dude," the other guy said, and Connor looked up with a frown, which turned into confusion. The guy before him was the same one who tried to get him with the pipe. Connor's blood turned to ice and he straightened. The guy frowned, looking at his face, probably trying to find out why this doctor looked so familiar.

"Let me guess, Coop. You get lost on the way to the bathroom?" Connor asked, his voice hard.

"What? Who the hell are you?" Coop asked and stepped away from Connor.

"You must've been really high not to remember me," Connor said, and his hands instinctively clenched into fists. "What, with being busy kicking an innocent animal and all that."

Coop's eyes went wide as he put two and two together, and from the quickened breathing, Connor knew what would happen. It was a fight or flight situation. They were standing in the hall of a rather busy hospital, although no one was paying them attention. Connor saw Coop shooting a quick look towards the exit, or rather, the maze he had to go through to get there. In the next second there was a fist flying at Connor's face. And just like in that alley, Connor was ready to step out of the way. Only this time he used the momentum to his advantage, grabbed Coop by the shoulder, and slammed him against the opposite wall. There was an 'oomph' sound, and Connor quickly took hold of Coop's arms, then pinned him against the wall.

"You fucking bastard, let me go!" Coop shouted and started struggling against the hold. Connor grunted as his ribs protested loudly against the motion, but didn't let go.

"Get security," he called at a young nurse who watched in stupor from a few meters away. She nodded and quickly left. Connor could see several more people standing around, unsure of what was going on. Coop kept shouting obscenities and fighting back and Connor was starting to think that he would have to let go, before one of his ribs decided to snap. Where the hell was everyone now?

"You need some help?" Suddenly one guy appeared next to Connor, just as Coop managed to pull one arm free and get off a jab into Connor's chest. Grunting, Connor let go and stumbled back, pretty sure Coop was going to run, . But someone steadied him and pulled him aside and another man, this time in the uniform of the PD, grabbed Coop by the arms and quickly put him in handcuffs.

The fight was over just as quickly as it started, and Connor threw a thankful look towards the cop and the other guy.

"Just in time," he said breathily, one arm clutched around his ribs, the other still held by the guy that offered help.

"What happened?" the cop asked, but before Connor needed to start explaining, he saw Will, Maggie, and a security guard rushing their way. Connor let out a breath and allowed himself to relax. The cavalry arrived.

* * *

When late that afternoon Connor wearily entered his apartment, he hurt all over, but he felt calmer than before. Coop had been taken into custody, and his friend Tee, aka Theodore, was lying half delirious in the ICU, under the watchful eyes of the security. As soon as his health would permit, he would follow his buddy and be processed in the system. Frankly, Connor couldn't care less. They were both off the streets, and that was all he wanted. What was important right now was the warm nose nudging at his hand, a wagging tail, and two dark eyes pleading him to go for a walk. Connor looked into those eyes and grinned.

"Hey, I know Lisa took you out for a walk two hours ago," Connor said, and petted Milo behind the ears. "I bet you only want to check if that fancy poodle from the first floor didn't leave you some message."

He got a soft bark in reply and chuckled. It was a hard day and all he wished for was his bed, but seeing the hopeful look in those puppy eyes gave him a warm feeling in his stomach.

"Okay, buddy. Let's go for a walk."

 **The End**


End file.
